Canyon Disputr CFR
325 grams (L, 59 - 63 cm) / 299,95 Euro
According to Canyon, it was time to reinvent the bike helmet. Cyclists in Germany have been wearing hard-shell helmets since the 1920s. To this day, most of them remain unchanged with a textile strap fastening. For their first helmet developed in-house, however, the Koblenz-based company is calling for a small revolution and presenting the Disputr CFR with the so-called HighBar system.
A plastic strap is folded under the chin from above past the face and fixed in place with a twist lock. The width is adjusted, as usual, using a dial at the back of the head. It goes without saying that the system is certified in accordance with current global safety standards.
According to Canyon, it has two advantages over the conservative strap. Firstly, the new helmet fastener is not only easier to clean, but also remains around five degrees cooler than the textile straps.
Secondly, the HighBar is said to have an aerodynamic advantage for XC and marathon riders. In the wind tunnel, it was discovered that the head is one of the first points of contact with the invisible resistance and therefore even small details are decisive.
Innovative underwire, without noticeable effect
We were unable to verify either effect in our tests. In general, the Disputr is well ventilated and lightweight. However, in direct comparison with a fabric strap, there was no noticeable temperature advantage.
The unfamiliar handling proved to be much more relevant to everyday life, as the glasses have to be removed to put them on and take them off - annoying! Visually, the round design together with the fastening system is reminiscent of a riding or hockey helmet.
Athletes benefit twice over from shaving in terms of aerodynamics, as some testers complained of an unpleasant stinging sensation when the temples come into contact with stubble. Apart from that, the wearing comfort is also good on long rides. The Canyon Disputr is a good race helmet with MIPS, but it wasn't worth waiting 100 years for the HighBar fastener.
+ lightweight
+ well ventilated
- Glasses must be removed to put them on/off
- takes some getting used to
- disturbs beard stubble
GripGrab EXPLR WP Lightweight Jacket
274 grams (L) / 200 Euro
The Danish clothing brand GripGrap has always excelled with very good overshoes and gloves for bad weather. And you can also rely on the new EXPLR rain jacket on rainy days.
GripGrab has done a lot of things right, especially when it comes to the cut: long sleeves with small flaps seal the transition to the gloves, the collar with hood closes high and the long cut prevents water and mud from seeping into the trousers from behind when in the riding position.
The jacket is also pleasantly light and packs down small. However, you have to accept some compromises when it comes to features: Chest pocket, hood (for under the helmet) and strategically placed reflective strips - that's it. There are no ventilation options or additional pockets.
Although the material is comfortable to wear even when sweaty, it does rustle a lot, which is particularly noticeable when you put the hood on. In the waterproofness test, the EXPLR showed no weaknesses and remained waterproof - both on the material and at the seams.
Few seams also mean few potential weak points. I am therefore happy to do without pockets and ventilation options in my rain jacket. - Stefan Frey, BIKE test editor
Fair Bicycle Drop Best UC M5
139 gram / 148 Euro
Seat angles that are too slack or almost too steep on current bikes often lead to problems with the riding position. The steep seat angle gives my Simplon Rapcon enormous climbing capabilities, but on long rides I sit squat and with too much pressure on my hands.
The Drop Best adapter from the small Swiss manufacturer Fair Bicycle provides a remedy here. It replaces the standard seat clamp and extends the adjustment range of the saddle by a whole 27 millimetres - forwards or backwards as required. The Drop Best fits almost all seatposts with M5 clamping bolts and is also compatible with other seatposts in other versions.
On more than 100,000 metres of altitude, the workmanship and function of the adapter have absolutely convinced me and the manufacturer's fair trade approach also meets my expectations of a high-quality bike product.
The Drop Best is an indispensable accessory for correcting increasingly extreme enduro seat angles on seat posts without offset or with a seat angle that is too slack. - Christoph Malin, BIKE test rider
Stefan Frey
Editor
